Monday, February 27, 2006

Homeschool Habitat Podcasts: Great Listening!

Podcasts are audio recordings, similar to a talk radio show format, which are available on the internet to listen to right from your computer.

Homeschool Habitat offers free podcasts about homeschooling. The hosts and creators are Kim and Ken Campbell who are homeschooling parents.

Yesterday I listened to two shows while doing boring data entry on my computer. Listening to the shows was inspirational.

There were a few things which impressed me about the show. The first is that I am in awe of the wonderful conversation flow that goes on between Kim and Ken. They sound like two professional talk show hosts but even better, because the way they talk to each other is not fake or stilted, it is genuine and real plus it sounds professional and they both have great voices for audio shows. The next thing that impressed me was their use of music in between segments which added to the experience and sounded so professional and appealing.

I also love and appreciate that Kim and Ken are not preachy and are not critical of the various methods of learning. They are from the perspective which I also share which is that there are many methods and styles and each family must choose what is best for not only the family but for each individual child. Their show has a positive air about it and a relaxed yet responsible and confident air to it.

Something else I enjoy is when I hear a jet or a train going by their home. It sounds so real and sound-effect like yet it is really a jet or a train going by their home (in Chicago). This underscores for me that homeschoolers are real people living and doing great things in their homes and lives while real life is going on all around them. I like the fact that the show is not recorded in a soundproof recording studio.

Homeschool Habitat features an adult segment and a children’s segment. The children’s segment includes Kim and Ken’s children, with either a lesson or a discussion about a learning topic which includes the child sharing what they know or we sometimes even hear them being exposed to a new concept or fact.

As I write this there are eleven Homeschool Habitat podcasts available to listen to for free, dated from January 2004 through November 2005. I hope that more Homeschool Habitats will be recorded and shared with us.

The website with the list of shows is here. Note that each show has a long description of the contents so you can choose which show(s) discuss topics that are interesting to you. Some shows are geared mostly for newcomers or those curious about homeschooling. Despite my fast DSL connection it takes a few minutes for the shows to load on my computer, so I advise that after you click on the “click here to listen” button, that you be patient and wait the few minutes that it takes to load.

Kim Campbell also reviews homeschooling blogs. She reviewed my blog on June 27, 2005, and you can read her review of The Thinking Mother’s blog, here.

1 comment:

Thanks for the information. I hadn't heard of this site and I look forward to listening to the podcasts! There are so many blogs out there, it is a big help when others share information about ones they have enjoyed! Have a great day!